Senior Research Associate in Genetic Epidemiology

The role

We are seeking an independent researcher to work on an established project funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in Population Health Sciences at the University of Bristol, one of the leading centres for epidemiology in the UK. The role is based within the Cleft Collective research group, which runs one of the world’s largest and most successful cohort studies of children born with a cleft lip and/or palate. We work closely with our collaborators; Prof Sir Michael Owen and Prof Marianne van den Bree in the Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University and Dr Gemma Sharp; School of Psychology, University of Exeter.

Our project aims to help improve mental health outcomes in a vulnerable population of children born with a cleft, by identifying which children are most at risk and therefore require additional psychological support. We have calculated Copy Number Variation (CNV) on genetic samples from the Cleft Collective using a pipeline developed by our collaborators in Cardiff University. Using questionnaire, genetic and linked educational data, we will quantify and compare rates of mental health and neurodevelopmental problems by calculating and comparing longitudinal trajectories between cleft cases and controls. We will use genetic epidemiological approaches (LD-score regression and Mendelian randomization) to estimate genetic correlations and causal relationships between genetic liability to cleft and psychiatric disorders. Finally, we will work with our existing networks of clinical and patient community collaborators to co-produce guidelines for NHS cleft teams and teachers to enable them to act on our findings and help improve mental health outcomes for this group of children.

The interviews are likely to take place w/c 09/09/2024.

What will you be doing?

Under the supervision of the PIs (Prof Evie Stergiakouli and Dr Gemma Sharp), and with support from the Cleft Collective team and our collaborators, you will be responsible for assembling all assessment measures, preparing data, calculating longitudinal trajectories, and designing and running all genetic and non-genetic analyses. You will disseminate findings through publishing papers, presenting at conferences, and participating in Patient Participant Involvement and Public Engagement activities. You will gain valuable experience working with colleagues from multiple academic disciplines and non-academic sectors, including the NHS and education providers.

You should apply if

You should apply if you hold (or just submitted/working towards) a PhD in genetic epidemiology, epidemiology, psychology, mental health, genetics or statistics and have a proactive and independent mindset. This post is suitable to someone with established expertise in running genetic analyses or applied statistical analysis using large datasets. You should also be proficient in R or another statistical programming language and have experience in disseminating research findings in oral presentations and publications.

Additional information

Contract type: Open-ended with funding until 30/06/2026

For informal queries please contact:

Prof Evie Stergiakouli, e.stergiakouli@bristol.ac.uk

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